Academic Leadership Development Program

Overview

The Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP) is a nine-month professional development experience that equips UMBC leaders to navigate the complexities of their roles with confidence, clarity, and care. Through monthly sessions, peer dialogue, and applied learning, participants will build skills to support faculty success and foster a strong academic community.

Program Goals

The goals of ALDP is to:

  1. Build leadership capacity grounded in equity, collaboration, and strategy
  2. Equip academic leaders with tools and resources to support faculty success
  3. Foster a strong and supportive academic community
  4. Create shared language around policies, evaluations, workload, and wellness.

Who Should Participate

ALDP is intended for current department chairs and academic program directors.

Session Dates

For all dates, coffee/refreshments are available at 9:30am, with sessions being from 10:00am – 12:00pm, unless otherwise noted.

  • Wednesday, August 20th (Kickoff): Aligning goals with mission; administrative essentials; and insights from seasoned chairs.
  • September 26:  Leadership Styles; Understanding and using budgets
  • October 17: What I Wish I Knew — Supporting Faculty Advancement & Tenure
  • November 12 (9:30am – 4pm): Managing without Micromanaging (morning)/ Communicate like a Pro (afternoon)
  • December 12: Wellness check — Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal
  • February 6: Managing Faculty & Student Challenge — Policies, Procedures, and People 
  • March 27: Faculty Workload Equity
  • April 17: What I Wish I Knew  — Evaluating & Supporting Faculty and Staff 
  • May 15: Recap — Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal & Program Conclusion

What to Expect

Through this program, participants will:

  • Engage in interaction and reflective sessions that combine research-informed strategies with practical application
  • Learn from faculty panels and administrative leaders
  • Build a supportive peer network across the university
  • Strengthen confidence and capacity to lead with equity, clarity, and strategy

Questions?

Please direct all questions related to the Academic Leadership Development Program to Walter Parrish, walterp1@umbc.edu.